Liverpool ended the season in second place after seeing their title bid falter in final weeks of the campaign, but despite that disappointment, the Reds are now able to begin planning for Champions League football next season. Manager Brendan Rodgers has already been linked with a number of big name signings, but it's a player returning to the club who is of note this week.

Winger Assaidi arrived on Merseyside in 2012 for just £2.4m after impressing in Holland with Heerenveen, but having made just 12 appearances for the Reds, he was loaned out to Premier League rivals Stoke at the start of the season in order to gain first-team football.

The Moroccan enjoyed a fruitful season at the Britannia Stadium, hitting four goals in just 19 Premier League appearances, and Potters manager Mark Hughes was reportedly looking to make the deal permanent this summer - only to be told to cough up £7m for his services, almost trebling what the Reds paid for him just two years ago.

Rodgers steep price tag appears to have scared Stoke off making a move, but it also suggests that the 25-year-old could well have a future at Anfield despite being on the fringes of the team for much of his stay with the club.

The Liverpool boss has been looking to improve his options on the flanks for the past 12 months, but missed out on the signings of Willian, Mohamed Salah and Yevhen Konoplyanka. It seems that Rodgers will once again look to add wide men this summer, but Assaidi's spell with Stoke has certainly put him in contention for an increased role next season.

The £7m price tag will surely keep Assaidi at the club for the foreseeable future, and it may well be Rodgers' way of keeping hold of the Moroccan to see if he can contribute heavily next season.

Olly Dawes

Olly is a Sports Management graduate and aspiring journalist, with most of his work surrounding football or NFL. He has formed two of his own sites, as well as contributing to a number of others before starting with Here Is The City.